HBF 2011

Harbury Beer Festival 2011

Cheers to t’ales from the Dales

Friday 2nd September 2011: 5:30pm – 11:30pm

Saturday 3rd September 2011: 11:30am – 4:00pm, 6:00pm – 11:30pm

The 21st Harbury Beer Festival was once again, to para-phrase the festival’s slogan, a cracking success. The theme this year was Ales from the Dales, that is beers from West Yorkshire, and we had a very good selection from the many excellent breweries in that area, as well as special beers from more local breweries to celebrate our 21st.

The weather was once again kind to us, as usual it had got rid of all the bad weather over the bank holiday. This meant that the visitors could enjoy their beer, as well as a Saturday afternoon entertainment, on the grass outside, which all helped to create Harbury’s unique atmosphere.

We were lucky with our beers and ciders in that, although they sold well and were very popular, they lasted out (just) until close of play on Saturday. The fastest selling beer was Ilkley – Mary Jane, which sold out at 11:40 Sat lunchtime. This was quickly followed by Timothy Taylor’s – Golden Best at 12:00.

The beer of the festval, as voted by the attendees was:

1st Blythe – Johnson’s Porter

2nd equal – Atomic – 21st Grapefruit and Magic Rock – Rapture

The festival as usual was very well attended, with a total of just under 1200 attending the three sessions, and the visitors all seem to be enjoying themselves, as well as the great selection of beers on offer. Attendance of course was helped by the fact that, despite the cuts, the bus services in the afternoon and evening were running as previous years.

Eighteen new CAMRA members were signed up at the festival, of whom 13 live with in the branch area.

The entertainment, too, was as in previous years very good, contributing greatly to the visitors’ enjoyment. On Saturday afternoon, as well as the usual excellent performance by the Hereburgh Morris side, we were also fortunate enough to be entertained by the steel pan Academy steel band and the Harbury ukulele group. We were all so treated to a cultural fusion of the Morris side dancing to the steel band, unfortunately they did not try hip-hop.

The Saturday evening entertainment was Time After Time, a local duo performing a mixture of Irish music and pop classics. Judging by the excitement they generated they seemed to go down really well.

Our thanks to all those who helped to make the festival go so well, and an especial thank you to John Crossling who has done a splendid job of organising
the beers at all 21 festivals and is now stepping down for a well earned retirement, with John Griffiths taking over responsibility for the beer.

Thanks also to everyone for their generosity in their dona tions to the festival’s official charity, the Warwickshire Air Ambulance, which totaled approximately £450.

[Ian Bayliss]

Champion West Midlands Porter

Prior to the opening of the festival, as per tradition, a panel took part in a blind tasting to judge a particular category of the West Midlands Beer of the Year.

This year we were judging the porter, and the results were:

1st Blythe Brewery – Johnson’s Porter

2nd Burton Bridge Brewery – Dark Porter

3rd Beowolf Brewery – Finn’s Hall Porter

Entertainment

As ever the Hereburgh Morris danced on Saturday lunchtime. In the eveningTime After Time.

Beers

Brewery

Beer

Style

ABV

Tasting Notes

Anglo Dutch (Partners Brewery)

Apistus

Honey Beer

4.00%

A pale heather honey beer. Due to unforseen circumstances this beer is not available (the cask split!!)

Anglo Dutch (Partners Brewery)

Tabatha the Knackered

Strong Ale

6.00%

Golden Belgian-style Triple with a strong fruity, hoppy and bitter character. Powerful and warming, slightly thinnish, with a bitter, dry finish.. Named after the Anglo brewers cat.

Bob's

White Lion

Lager

4.30%

Pale, flowery, lager style beer using American cascade hops.

Bridestones

Dark Mild

Mild

4.50%

Dark brown strong mild with a complex nose of caramel and roasted malt. Good balance of sweetness and bitterness on the palette. Upfront bitterness in the finish.

Bridgehouse

Heathcliffe Stout

Stout

5.00%

Rich, well balanced, intensely flavoured.

Briscoe's

Three Peaks Ale

Best Bitter

4.50%

A strong, pale premium bitter brewed with only pale malt and traditional hops.

Clark's

Westgate Gold

Best Bitter

4.20%

A light-coloured, fruity beer with a full body and rich aroma.

Cuerden Brewery

Mild

Mild

3.90%

A fairly light mild, amber/red in colour, fairly sweet, not particularly bitter or malty and not hoppy. Dryish finish.

A powerful, dark and rich strong beer with an array of malt, roast malt and chocolate flavours and a strong, lasting malty finish, with some hoppiness.

Five Towns

Callum's Best

Best Bitter

4.60%

A dark coloured beer brewed with Maris Otter and Chocolate malt giving a full flavour and bitter finish.

Five Towns

Naimh's Nemesis

Strong Ale

5.70%

A full bodied IPA with hints of grapefruit before a dry finish.

Fox Beer

Urban Fox

Best Bitter

4.50%

A dark ruby beer with good malt flavours complemented with a powerful hop overtones. Almost an Old Ale.

Goose Eye

Over and Stout

Stout

5.20%

A full-bodied stout with a complex palette in which roast and caramel flavoures mingle with malt, dark fruit and liquorice. Look also for tart fruit on the nose and a growing bitter finish.

Haworth Steam Brewing Company

Fallwood XXXX

Strong Ale

5.20%

This full bodied beer is full of roasted barley and first gold hops.

Ilkley

Mary Jane

Bitter

3.50%

A crisp, pale ale with citrus aromas made with high quantities of Amarillo hops.

Kirkstall Brewery Company

Three Swords

Best Bitter

4.50%

Very pale and spectacularly thirst-quenching. Three different hops give this beer a delightful citrus nose.

Landlord's Friend

55BC

Best Bitter

4.00%

A light coloured extremely fruity flavoured beer that has a lingering dry aftertaste.

Leeds

Pale

Bitter

3.80%

Well-balanced pale ale, citrus in both aroma and flavour. Gold in colour with a refreshing bitter hoppy finish.

Little Valley

Hebden's Wheat

Wheat Beer

4.50%

A pale yellow, creamy wheat beer with a good balance of bitterness and fruit, a hint of sweetness but with a lasting dry finish.

Little Valley

Fairtrade Ginger Pale Ale

Best Bitter

4.00%

Full-bodied speciality ale. Ginger predominates in the aroma and taste. It has a pleasantly powerful, fiery and spicy finish.

Magic Rock Brewing Company

Rapture

Best Bitter

4.60%

Full bodied, hoppy red beer. 5 types of malt and 6 types of hops. Uplifting aromas of grapefruit and pine combine with a pithy orange and pronounced citrus flavour which is balanced against a deeply rich and malty body. A satisfyingly dry and crisp finish.

Mallinsons

Station Best Bitter

Best Bitter

4.20%

An amber-coloured best bitter with a balance of malt and fruity hops.

Milltown

Slubbers Gold

Best Bitter

4.20%

A rich Golden Ale. This new brewery only started production in July this year!

Moorview

First Born Bitter

Bitter

3.40%

Light in alcohol but big on taste with a slight fruit finish.

Nook

Yorks

Bitter

3.70%

A well-balanced bitter with light malt and hop aroma with hop and fruit in the taste, developing in strength. A good session beer.

Old Bear

Goldilocks

Best Bitter

4.50%

This is a light golden ale, refreshingly enticing with a pungent hoppy taste but with a lemon tangy fruit aroma which comes from the complex blend of four hops, one being northern brewer, leaving a clean wheaty citrus flavour on the palate.

A strong pale ale with a full, mellow flavour and a fresh, hoppy aroma with citrus/floral characteristics.

Owenshaw Mill

Gollums Revenge

Best Bitter

4.00%

A pale continental style beer mildly bittered with a combination of Czech and American hops.

Ridgeside

Southern Cross

Strong Ale

5.70%

A pale modern styled IPA, brewed using Southern Cross hops from New Zealand

Ridgeside

Amarillo

Bitter

4.10%

A golden beer made with Amarillo hops. White head and lacing, slightly spicy with a dry hop finish with hints of lemon.

Riverhead

March Haigh

Best Bitter

4.60%

A golden-brown premium bitter. Malty and full-bodied with moderate bitterness.

Salamander

Golden Salamander

Best Bitter

4.50%

Citrus hops dominate this golden premium bitter, which has malt undertones throughout. The aftertaste is dry, hoppy and bitter. Silver Medal Winner in the Golden Ales category of the Champion Beer of Britain 2011.

Saltaire

Blackberry Cascade

Fruit Beer

4.80%

American style pale ale, hopped with Cascade and Centennial hops. Infused with a hint of blackberries.

A Belgian style slightly cloudy deep yellow beer with a creamy white head. The aroma has lots of very ripe lemon. It has a full body and tastes of ripe lemons, sweet malt and grapefruit. The aftertaste is citrusy with some pineapple and bitter hops. Only available in halves or thirds!

Chocolate and crystal malt combined to give a ruby red coloured beer with a hint of chocolate. Brewed using Fuggles and Styrian Goldings, blended for an earthy and slightly spicy aroma. (WM porter entrant)

A classic full flavoured stout to rival the famous brand! A thick creamy head leads to a smooth rich body. Roasted malt and dark fruits merge into a dry finish. Our cask has been matured for six months!

Wood Farm Brewery

Play On

Bitter

3.90%

Dark and amber in colour, brewed with New Zealand cascade hops resulting in a pleasant bitterness whilst drinking and a fruity, citrus finish.

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